Dental pulp mesenchymal stem cell (DPSCs)-derived soluble factors, produced under hypoxic conditions, support angiogenesis via endothelial cell activation and generation of M2-like macrophages.

Background: Cell therapy has emerged as a revolutionary tool to repair damaged tissues by restoration of an adequate vasculature. Dental Pulp stem cells (DPSC), due to their easy biological access, ex vivo properties, and ability to support angiogenesis have been largely explored in regenerative medicine.

Methods: Here, we tested the capability of Dental Pulp Stem Cell-Conditioned medium (DPSC-CM), produced in normoxic (DPSC-CM Normox) or hypoxic (DPSC-CM Hypox) conditions, to support angiogenesis via their soluble factors.

Comparative Morphology of Skeletal Development in and : Divergent Stiffening Patterns Due to Different Matrix Calcification Processes.

Before calcification begins, the early embryonic and fetal skeletal development of both mammalian and the chondrichthyan fish consists exclusively of cartilage. This cartilage is formed and shaped through processes involving tissue segmentation and the frequency, distribution, and orientation of chondrocyte mitoses. In the subsequent developmental phase, mineral deposition in the cartilage matrix conditions the development further.

DIY adapting SEM for low-voltage TEM imaging.

Electron microscopy is essential for examining materials and biological samples at microscopic levels, providing detailed insights. Achieving high-quality imaging is often challenged by the potential damage high-energy beams can cause to sensitive samples. This study compares scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to evaluate image quality, noise levels, and the ability to preserve delicate specimens.

The Dark Side of Artificial Intelligence: The Possible Risk of Falsifying Images for Scientific Articles.

This article explores the potential risks associated with using artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images in the field of microscopy. It discusses the current state-of-the-art AI-based image-generation techniques and their limitations. It investigates the potential risks associated with the illegal use of AI-generated images, including their use in creating falsified scientific data and the consequences of such misuse.

Skeletal calcification patterns of batoid, teleost, and mammalian models: Calcified cartilage versus bone matrix.

This study compares the skeletal calcification pattern of batoid Raja asterias with the endochondral ossification model of mammalians Homo sapiens and teleost Xiphias gladius. Skeletal mineralization serves to stiffen the mobile elements for locomotion. Histology, histochemistry, heat deproteination, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/EDAX analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) have been applied in the study.

Investigating the interfaces of the epiphyseal plate: An integrated approach of histochemistry, microtomography and SEM.

We investigated the interfaces of the epiphyseal plate with over- and underlying bone segments using an integrated approach of histochemistry, microtomography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to overcome the inherent limitations of sections-based techniques. Microtomography was able to provide an unobstructed, frontal view of large expanses of the two bone surfaces facing the growth plate, while SEM observation after removal of the soft matrix granted an equally unhindered access with a higher resolution. The two interfaces appeared widely dissimilar.

Adipose mesenchymal stem cell-derived soluble factors, produced under hypoxic condition, efficiently support in vivo angiogenesis.

Tissue regeneration or healing both require efficient vascularization within a tissue-damaged area. Based on this concept, a remarkable number of strategies, aimed at developing new tools to support re-vascularization of damaged tissue have emerged. Among the strategies proposed, the use of pro-angiogenic soluble factors, as a cell-free tool, appears as a promising approach, able to overcome the issues concerning the direct use of cells for regenerative medicine therapy.

Fin systems comparative anatomy in model Batoidea Raja asterias and Torpedo marmorata: Insights and relatioships between musculo-skeletal layout, locomotion and morphology.

The macroscopic and microscopic morphology of the appendicular skeleton was studied in the two species Raja asterias (order Rajiformes) and Torpedo marmorata (Order Torpediniformes), comparing the organization and structural layout of pectoral, pelvic, and tail fin systems. The shape, surface area and portance of the T. marmorata pectoral fin system (hydrodynamic lift) were conditioned by the presence of the two electric organs in the disk central part, which reduced the pectoral fin surface area, suggesting a lower efficiency of the "flapping effectors" than those of R.

The chondro-osseous junction of articular cartilage.

In the synovial joints the transition between the soft articular cartilage and the subchondral bone is mediated by a layer of calcified cartilage of structural and mechanical characteristics closer to those of bone. This layer, buried in the depth of articular cartilage, is not directly accessible and is mostly visualized in histological sections of decalcified tissue, where it appears as a darker strip in contact with the subchondral bone. In this study conventional histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with secondary electron imaging (SE) or backscattered electron imaging (BSE) were used to discriminate the calcified and the uncalcified cartilage in high resolution on native, untreated tissue as well as in deproteinated or demineralized tissue.

The combined cartilage growth - calcification patterns in the wing-fins of Rajidae (Chondrichthyes): A divergent model from endochondral ossification of tetrapods.

The relationship between cartilage growth - mineralization patterns were studied in adult Rajidae with X-ray morphology/morphometry, undecalcified resin-embedded, heat-deproteinated histology and scanning electron microscopy. Morphometry of the wing-fins, nine central rays of the youngest and oldest specimens documented a significant decrement of radials mean length between inner, middle and outer zones, but without a regular progression along the ray. This suggests that single radial length growth is regulated in such a way to align inter-radial joints parallel to the wing metapterygia curvature.

The complex rostral morphology and the endoskeleton ossification process of two adult samples of Xiphias gladius (Xiphiidae).

The authors studied the morphology of the upper and lower jaws, vertebrae and dorsal-fin rays of the teleost fish Xiphias gladius to analyse the skeletal architecture and ossification pattern. The analogies and differences among these segments were investigated to identify a common morphogenetic denominator of the bone tissue osteogenesis and modeling. The large fat glands in the proximal upper jaw and their relationship to the underlying cartilage (absent in the lower jaw) suggested that there is a mechanism that explains rostral overgrowth in the Xiphiidae and Istiophoriidae families.

Morphology of joints and patterns of cartilage calcification in the endoskeleton of the batoid Raja cf. polystigma.

The skeleton of the batoid fish consists of a mixture of calcified and uncalcified cartilage with a typical layout of mineral deposition toward the outer border, leaving an uncalcified central core in most of the skeleton segments. An exception is observed in the radials, where mineral deposition is central. Joints and endoskeleton segments were studied in two adult samples of Raja cf.

The Italian law on body donation: A position paper of the Italian College of Anatomists.

In Italy, recent legislation (Law No. 10/2020) has tuned regulations concerning the donation of one's postmortem body and tissues for study, training, and scientific research purposes. This study discusses several specific issues to optimise the applicability and effectiveness of such an important, novel regulatory setting.

Case Report: Histological and Histomorphometrical Results of a 3-D Printed Biphasic Calcium Phosphate Ceramic 7 Years After Insertion in a Human Maxillary Alveolar Ridge.

Dental implant placement can be challenging when insufficient bone volume is present and bone augmentation procedures are indicated. The purpose was to assess clinically and histologically a specimen of 30%HA-60%β-TCP BCP 3D-printed scaffold, after 7-years. The patient underwent bone regeneration of maxillary buccal plate with 3D-printed biphasic-HA block in 2013.

Biphasic Calcium Phosphate Biomaterials: Stem Cell-Derived Osteoinduction or In Vivo Osteoconduction? Novel Insights in Maxillary Sinus Augmentation by Advanced Imaging.

Maxillary sinus augmentation is often necessary prior to implantology procedure, in particular in cases of atrophic posterior maxilla. In this context, bone substitute biomaterials made of biphasic calcium phosphates, produced by three-dimensional additive manufacturing were shown to be highly biocompatible with an efficient osteoconductivity, especially when combined with cell-based tissue engineering. Thus, in the present research, osteoinduction and osteoconduction properties of biphasic calcium-phosphate constructs made by direct rapid prototyping and engineered with ovine-derived amniotic epithelial cells or amniotic fluid cells were evaluated.

Targeting cellular stress in vitro improves osteoblast homeostasis, matrix collagen content and mineralization in two murine models of osteogenesis imperfecta.

Most cases of dominantly inherited osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) are caused by glycine substitutions in the triple helical domain of type I collagen α chains, which delay collagen folding, and cause the synthesis of collagen triple helical molecules with abnormal structure and post-translational modification. A variable extent of mutant collagen ER retention and other secondary mutation effects perturb osteoblast homeostasis and impair bone matrix quality. Amelioration of OI osteoblast homeostasis could be beneficial both to osteoblast anabolic activity and to the content of the extracellular matrix they deposit.

Photon emission and changes in fluorescent properties of bone after laser irradiation.

Laser scalpels used in medical surgery concentrate light energy, heating the tissues. Recently, we reported thermoluminescence emission from laser-treated soft tissues. Here we investigated the thermo-optical effects caused by a laser operating at 808 nm on animal bones (beef ribs) through luminescence and fluorescence imaging, thermal imaging and scanning electron microscopy.

Slippery when wet: The free surface of the articular cartilage.

The free surface of the articular cartilage must withstand compressive and shearing forces, maintain a low friction coefficient and allow oxygen and metabolites to reach the underlying matrix. In many ways it is critical to the physiology of the whole tissue and its disruption always involves deep pathological alterations and loss of the joint integrity. Being very difficult to image with section-based conventional techniques, it was often described by previous research in conflicting terms or entirely overlooked.

Effect of Nanostructured Scaffold on Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: Outcome of Experiments.

This work is addressed to provide, by experiments, results on the repercussion that a nanostructured scaffold could have on viability, differentiation and secretion of bioactive factors of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) when used in association to promote angiogenesis, a crucial condition to favour tissue regeneration. To achieve this aim, we evaluated cell viability and morphology by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and microscopy analysis, respectively. We also investigated the expression of some of those genes involved in angiogenesis and differentiation processes utilizing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), whereas the amounts of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A, Interleukin 6 and Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 4 secreted in the culture medium, were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

The synovial surface of the articular cartilage.

The articular cartilage has been the subject of a huge amount of research carried out with a wide array of different techniques. Most of the existing morphological and ultrastructural data on the this tissue, however, were obtained either by light microscopy or by transmission electron microscopy. Both techniques rely on thin sections and neither allows a direct, face-on visualization of the free cartilage surface (synovial surface), which is the only portion subject to frictional as well as compressive forces.

Zooming on light packaging waste differences by scanning electron microscopy.

In the present paper, different types of pure and commercial plastic waste from different EU countries (UK, France, Italy, and Romania) were investigated for microstructure surface morphology and chemical properties by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). The goal of the current investigation was to determine the chemical composition of selected packaging materials and compare these measurements with data obtained through a carbon-hydrogen-nitrogen-sulfur-oxygen (CHNS-O) elemental analyzer, which is conventionally used to characterize waste materials. The capabilities of the experimental approach are discussed in connection with their application to the study of waste sample materials and in comparison with alternative experimental methods such as elemental analysis.

The structure of cortical bone as revealed by the application of methods for the calcified matrix study.

Calcination and decalcification are basic procedures useful to a morphological approach of a biological, composite material like cortical bone. The study was carried out on a whole human femur conserved in liquid (from an educational collection). Cortical fracturing and SEM observation of vascular canals surface collagen texture was used to study bone deproteination at scalar temperatures (400-1,200°C) and acid bone decalcification at crescent time intervals.

New morphological evidence of the 'fate' of growth plate hypertrophic chondrocytes in the general context of endochondral ossification.

The 'fate' of growth plate hypertrophic chondrocytes has been long debated with two opposing theories: cell apoptosis or survival with transformation into osteogenic cells. This study was carried out on the proximal tibial growth plate of rabbits using light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We focused particularly on the orientation of the specimens included in order to define the mineral deposition and the vascular invasion lines and obtain histological and ultrastructural images at the corresponding height of the plate.